Friday, September 28, 2012

It appeared in the newspapers that TVS motor company is determined to regain its market share, which it lost to other companies. The company has introduced its new bike called Phoenix, and the name is symbolic of resurgence of this company, which is known for its never say die attitude. Kudos to Phoenix bike from TVS. It has claimed that it is likely to introduced new motor cycle models in the future.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

At last Indian government has decided to bite the bullet.
Now the ball is in the court of the opposition. This is a master stroke in
terms of economic and political strategy. I would even suggest that this is a
great political strategy.

What does FDI policy states?

The federal government has allowed investment in Indian
retail industry by multinational firms such as Wal-Mart. Does it lead to job
creation? Does it affect employment prospects? For me, they are immaterial. I
am going to explain my argument. This is a brilliant political strategy. Till
recently, the government did not take this measure. Why? The fear of Mamata.
Now Mamata can be replaced by some other party from UP. So, political situation
has changed, and not economic situation.

This is the right time to introduce reforms. Election is in
sight, and in the election, Congress needs an issue. The opposition also
obtained an issue. The point is : can opposition parties like BJP cash in on
this. Not likely, particularly because BJP has been inconsistent in its
policies. It has opposed special status to Kashmir, but demands similar status
in Goa. This is a contradiction of sorts. Congress has won the first round.
This is because states are given the autonomy to decide regarding this issue.
As far as politics is concerned, I support MMS. The timing is perfect, because Anna
Hazare is likely to concentrate on social activism. He will go back to his
roots, and this will affect movement against Congress. Who knows, Congress may
win again, particularly because BJP is not a strong contender.

What is the economic argument? Will it kill Indian
kirana merchants? The advantage with Wal-Mart is that it benefits consumers and
producers. Farmer is likely to obtain better deal. Wal-Mart insists on
environment friendly products. One can assume that it has learnt lessons from
its operation in other countries of the world. So, FDI is likely to create
jobs, and this is likely to create jobs, instead of destroying jobs.

India needs to enhance its competitive spirit, and I am sure
that we can compete with the best. Let us create, companies than can challenge
Wal-Mart. We need to adjust with new situations. FDI is allowed only in mostly
populated areas. If Wal-Mart fails to satisfy consumers, it will fail in India.
There are different customers for kirana stores, which can offer personalized
and customized services. Kirana stores have come to stay, and they will not
fall.

FDI has only symbolic value. It shows the intent of
the country to introduce reforms. This will send strong signals to investors. The
stock market has responded positively. In the long term, this decision is
likely to be beneficial.

What is happening in Libya? It is very interesting. The US ambassador was killed perceptibly by Islamic terrorists, in an act showing anti US stance of these terrorist groups. People in Libya are frustrated with violence and bloodshed. According to the recent report published in the Google News, some people have attacked groups responsible for killing of US ambassador. It is clear that Islamic groups are polarized. It is true that militancy has remained a potent force of Islamic terrorists, but they are forced to taste their own medicine when they were attacked by another category of people. Obviously one does not know the internal politics or actual reason for this development. But, it is heartening to note that a category of people in this country, and perhaps many other countries, tend to oppose use of violence. One can express one's views, particularly with reference to verbal or hate attacks. Violence is not the solution to the problems of world order. Let peace survive!

Controversy regarding anti Islamic film
There is significant controversy over the film that intentionally or unintentionally showed Islam in bad color. One needs to think regarding this event. It has added to the current problems wherein people are fighting based on religious lines. The Salman Rushdie event is well-known. Muslims claim that Rushdie deliberately took anti-Islamic stance. He was threatened with death sentence. Fortunately or unfortunately nothing happened, even though Rushdie lost his freedom. Now the Pakistan minister has claimed that he would award the killer of the film-maker. This seems to be a knee jerk reaction or a well thought out action. At the same time, his party has refused to accept his stand. This is a personal statement made by the minister who claimed that "I am Muslim first". This implies that politicians tend to respect religion more than anything else or do they? One has to end this somewhere. Conflict between right and wrong always existed. Muslim clerics, at the same time, have called for peace. Restraint should be the need of the hour. One needs to tolerate and understand cultural differences. It is important that people understand consequences of their actions. In the future religious-sensitive films should be moderated, not censored. Voluntary restraint is the solution for this problem, even though this is not the only solution. Interaction between like-minded people can help obtaining solution to this problem. Let us remember: violence begets violence, so violence is not the solution to religious conflicts.